Modular tufting unit

ABSTRACT

A modular tufting unit has a needle bar formed of a plurality of sections or modules with each section being capable of being rendered ineffective. The modular tufting unit has its yarn feed rollers divided into sections or modules. Each of the sections of each of the yarn feed rollers is the same length as the section of the needle bar with which it is aligned in the direction of movement of the yarn. When one of the needle bar sections is rendered inactive, the aligned sections of the yarn feed rollers also are rendered inactive.

O Unlted States Patent 1 1111 3,709,173 Greene Jan. 9, 1973 1541 MODULAR TUFTING UNIT 3,168,882 2/1965 Scholl etal ..112/266 Inventor: Mervin D. Greene La Fayette Ga 3,375,797 4/1968 Games ..l l2/79 R [73] Assignee: Jorges Carpet Mills, Inc., Rossville, Primary Examiner-James R. Boler Ga. Attorney-Lamont Johnston [22] Filed: July 1, 1971 [57]- ABSTRACT [21] Appl 158903 A modular tufting unit has a needle bar formed of a plurality of sections or modules with each section 52 us. (:1. ..112/79 R being capable of being rendered ineffective The 51 Int. Cl ..D05c 15/20 mdulaf mffing unit has its yam feed rollers dividfid [58] Field of Search "112/79 R 79 A 795 80 266 into sections or modules. Each of the sections of each I410 of the yarn feed rollers is the same length as the section of the needle bar with which it is aligned in the direction'of movement of the yarn; When one of the [56] Reerences Cited needle bar sections is rendered inactive, the aligned UNITED STATES PATENTS sections of the yarn feed rollers also are rendered inactive. 2,829,61l 4/l958 Fedevich ..1l2/79 R 2,889,791 6/1959 Fedevich ..112/79 R 9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures [11 12 15 14 -"1 T 'I'iTTiT'T' O O O C O O O O D C U-\'):') 1) O O 3 0123010 1, O O

o e t e e -qe e2 1 .0 2 0 0 0 :2 o o a c: o lo o o c:- o. o :1 Lo 10 o o K K10 11 15 K17 1a n MODULAR TUFTING UNIT The presently available tufting machines utilize a single, one-piece needle bar, which carries needles along its entire length with each needle being threaded with yam. The needle bar is moved downwardly to direct the needles through a backing material. When each of the needles with the yarn passes through the backing material, a separate cooperating looper for each of the needles grasps the yarn so that a loop is formed by the yarn as the needle is removed from the backing material by the needle bar being lifted.

The yarn is fed to the needle from a supply spool by yarn feed rollers in coordination with the reciprocation of the needle bar. This permits the yarn to be fed at a desired rate so that the desired loops are formed.

Since carpeting, which is formed by the tufting machine, is sold in both 12 and foot widths, it is necessary that the tufting machine be capable of forming carpeting of both widths. Accordingly, in the presently available tufting machines, the needle bar has a sufficient legnth so that the needles can pass through a backing material having a fifteen foot width.

Accordingly, when carpeting of 12 foot width is to be produced by the same tufting machine, it has been necessary to unthread the yarn from a three foot section of the needle bar and tie off the yarn. Furthermore, it has been necessary to rock the loopers, which cooperate with the needles having the yarn unthreaded, to a position in which they clear the needles, which have the yarn unthreaded, of the needle bar. These foregoing operations are necessary because the needles, which have the yarn unthreaded, continue to reciprocate with the remainder of the needle bar during production of carpeting of 12 foot width. Otherwise, there would be both a waste of yarn and unnecessary wear of both the needles and the loopers.

When it is again desired to produce carpeting of 15 foot width with the tufting machine after production of carpeting havinga 12 foot width, it is necessary to rethread the needles in the 3 foot section of the needle bar and to rock the loopers back into the position in which they cooperate with the rethreaded needles. Additiona'lly, the loopers must be adjusted to insure proper pick-up of the yarn from the needle by the cooperating looper; this is a time consuming adjustment.

Accordingly, the changing of a tufting machine from production of carpeting of 12 foot width to 15 foot width and vice versa has been both expensive and time consuming. Depending on the gauge, which is the spacing of the needles in the needle bar, of the tufting machine, the change from production of carpeting of 12 foot width to carpeting of 15 foot width has required two to three 8 hour shifts of manpower. This isnot only a waste of labor but also significantly increases the cost of production because of the down time of the tufting machine, the lost production during the down time, and the excess labor cost.

The present invention satisfactorily overcomes the foregoing problems by providing a tufting machine in which there is no requirement of any rethreading of the yarn after it has once been threaded irrespective of whether the carpeting, which is to be produced, has a 12 foot width or a 15 foot width. In fact, the tufting machine of the present invention may be readily employed with carpeting of other widths without requiring threading or unthreading ,of the tufting machine'after it Y their operating positions when the cooperating section or module of the needle bar is rendered inoperative. Likewise, the modular tufting unit of the present invention does not require unthreading. of the yarn from the needles of the inactive section or module of the needle bar or any tying off thereof.

Accordingly, the only down time required by the present invention is that necessary to render the module or section of the needle bar inactive and to render the cooperating aligned yarn feed roller section or module of each of the yarn feed rollers inactive. This period of time is significantly smaller than that required by the presently available tufting machines when changing from production of carpeting of 12 foot width to fifteen foot width and viceversa.

Therefore, the modular tufting unit of the present invention significantly reduces the labor costs when producing carpeting of different widths on the same machine. The production costs are reduced because the down time of the machine is much less so that additional production is obtained from the machine for the same total period of time (production plus down time).

An object of this invention is to provide an improved tufting machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a modular tufting unit that may be easily employed to produce tufted material of different widths.

Other objects of this invention will be readily perceived from the following description, claims, and drawing.

7 This invention relates to a modular tufting unit including a plurality of needle carrying sections having needles supported thereby and at least one yarn feed roller cooperating with the needle carrying sections to feed yarn thereto. The yarn feed roller comprises a plurality of yarn feed roller sections equal in number to the needle carrying sections with each of the yarn feed roller sections being aligned with one of the needle carrying sections in the'direction of movement of the yarn and having substantially the same length. Each of the needle carrying sections is connected by selective connecting means to drive means for the needle carrying sections whereby only the needle carrying sections connected to the drive means are driven. The unit has means, to cause driving of only the yarn feed roller sections having their aligned needle carrying sections connected to the drive means by the connecting means.

The attached. drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a modular tufting unit of the present invention;

FIG. 2 isa sectional view of a needle bar connector of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic elevational view, partly in section, showing the drive mechanism for the needle bar.

Referring to the drawing and particularly FIG. .1, there is shown a needle bar 10, which comprises a plurality of needle bar sections or modules ll, 12, 13, and

14. Each of the needle bar sections or modules 11 to 14 has a plurality of drilled holes 15 therein with each receiving a needle 16 for. support. The needles 16 are secured to the needle bar in a well-known manner so as to form two rows.

The needle bar sections or modules 11 to 14 of the needle bar 10 are formed with the needle bar section or module 11 having a length of 6 feet and each of the remaining needle bar sections or modules 12 to 14 having a length of 3 feet. Accordingly, by rendering the needle bar section or module 14 ineffective, the needle bar 10 has an effective length of 12 feet whereby carpeting having a 12 foot width may be produced. Of course, the number of sections or modules of the needle bar 10 can be varied as desired with each having a selected length whereby carpeting of different widths other than 12 foot or 15 foot width could be produced if desired.

When the adjacent sections or modules 11 to 14 of the needle bar 10 are to be employed as part of the needle bar 10, they are connected to each other by a connector 17. The connector 17 overlies the adjoining ends of the adjacent needle bar sections or modules and is secured to each by screws 18 passingthrough openings in a top wall 19 of the connector 17 into threaded holes in the upper surfaces of the needle bar sections or modules with which the connector 17 is associated.

The connector 17 has a pair of parallel side walls 20, which engage against the front and rear surfaces of the needle bar sections or modules that are connected to each other by the connector 17. The connector 17 also has a flange 21 extending inwardly from each of the side walls to bear against the bottom surface of the needle bar sections or modules which the connector 17 is joining.

All of the needle bar sections or modules 11 to 14 are connected to a common drive means. The common drive means includes a driven crankshaft 22 (see FIG. 3) which may be rotated by well-known means. The crankshaft 22 has eccentrics 23 mounted thereon in longitudinally spaced relation to each other with each of the eccentrics 23 cooperating with a crank 24.

The lower end of the crank 24 is connected through a pin and slot arrangement to an arm 25, which is pivotally mounted on a rod 26 supported by the frame of the modular tufting unit. The other end of the arm from that connected to the crank 24 has the lower end of a link 27 connected thereto by a pin and slot arrangement with the upper end of the link 27 being connected to an arm 28, which is pivotally supported on a rod 29 supported by the frame of the modular tufting unit.

The arm 28 has its other end connected through links 30 and 31 to the upper end of a push rod 32, which is secured to'the needle bar 10. Each of the sections or modules 11 to 14 of the needle bar 10 has at least two of the push rods 32 connected thereto.

Each of the push rods 32 is slidably mounted in a guide 33, which is supported by the frame of the modular tufting unit, so that it moves vertically to reciprocate the needle bar section connected thereto. Each of the push rods 32 is connected to one end of the link 31 by a linkage pin 34. The other end of the link 31 is connected to the link 30 by a linkage pin 35.

Accordingly, during each revolution of the crankshaft 22, there is reciprocation of each of the neepins 34 to the links 31 and the links 31 connected by i the pins 35 to the links 30.

When a particular one of the sections or modules 11 to 14 of the needle bar 10 is to be rendered ineffective, the linkage pins 34 for the push rods 32, which are normally connected to the cooperating links 31 by the pins 34, are removed so that the push rods 32 are no longer connected to the crankshaft 22. When this occurs, there is no driving of the needle bar section or module, which has the disconnected push rods 32 secured thereto.

To insure that the needle bar section or module, which is disconnected from the crankshaft 22 and also disconnected from the adjacent needle bar section or module through removing the connector 17, does not interfere with the movement of the other sections or modules of, the needle bar 10, any ineffective needle bar section or module is raised to clear the operational area of the adjoining section or module of the needle bar 10. The inoperative needle bar. section or module of the needle bar 10 is retained in the raised position by any suitable means such as a wedge, strap, or scotch, for example.

As shown in FIG. 1, the needle bar 10 has a pair of yarn feed rollers 40 and 41 for feeding the yarn to the needle bar 10. The yarn feed roller 40 comprises yarn feed roller sections or modules 42, 43, 44, and 45 while the yarn feed roller 41 comprises yarn feed roller sections or modules 46, 47, 48, and 49.

Theyarn feed roller sections 42 and 46 'are aligned with each other and with the-needle bar section or module 11 in the direction of movement of the yarn and have the same length as the needle bar section or module 11. Similarly, the yarn feed roller sections or modules 43 and 47 are aligned with each other and with the needle bar section or module 12 in the direction of the movement of the yarn and have the same length as the needle bar section or module 12. Likewise, the yarn feed roller sections or modules 44 and 48 are aligned with each other and with the needle bar section or module 13 in the direction of movement of the yarn and have the same length as the needle bar section or module 13. The yarn feed roller sections or modules 45 and 49 are aligned with each other and with the needle bar section or module l4 in the.

direction of movement of the yarn and have the same length as the needle bar section or module '14.

The yarn feed roller sections or modules 42 to 45 of the yarn feed roller 40 are supported on a shaft 50 and each of the sections or modules 42 to45 may be selectively connected thereto. If not connected thereto, the shaft 50 can rotate freely relative to any of the yarn feed roller sections or modules 42 to 45, which are not connected to the shaft 50 at a particular time.

The yarn feed roller sections or modules 46 to 49 of the yarn feed roller 41 are supported on a shaft 51, which is parallel to the shaft 50. The yarn feed roller sections or modules 46 to 49 are mounted on the shaft 51 so that the shaft 51 can rotate relative to any of the yarn feed roller sections or modules 46 to 49, which are not connected to the shaft 51 at a particular time.

The shafts 50 and 51 are rotatably supported in brackets 52, 53, 54, 55, and 56 of the modular tufting unit. The brackets 52 to 56 also serve to separate the yarn feed roller sections or modules 42 to 45 of the yarn feed roller 40 from each other and the yarn feed roller sections or modules 46 to 49 of the yarn feed roller 41 from each other.

Each of the yarn feed roller sections or modules 42 to 45 of the yarn feed roller 40 may be selectively connected to the shaft 50 by set screws 57. Similarly, each of the yarn feed roller sections or modules 46 to 49 of the yarn feed roller 41 may be selectively connected to the shaft 51 by set screws 58.

The shafts 50 and 51 are adapted to be driven in the well-known manner of a tufting machine whereby the yarn may be advanced to the needles 16 of the needle bar at the desired rate. Thus, each of the connected yarn feed sections or modules 42 to 45 and 46 to 49 rotate at the desired velocity.

With all of the needle bar sections 11 to 14 connected to each other, the modular tufting unit of the present invention can produce carpeting having a foot width. If it is desired to produce carpeting having a 12 foot width with the needle bar section or module 11 having a 6 foot length and each of the needle bar sections or modules 12 to 14 having a 3 foot length, it is only necessary to disconnect the needle bar section or module 14 from the needle bar section or module 13 by removing the connector 17. Then, the push rods 32, which are connected to the needle bar section or module 14, must be disconnected from the cooperating cranks 24 by removing the cooperating linkage pins 34. Next, the needle bar section or module 14 is lifted upwardly so as to not be disposed adjacent the adjoining needle bar section or module 13 during operation thereof. As previously mentioned, the needle bar section or module 14 is retained in this raised position by suitable means.

The yarn feed roller section or module 45 must be disconnected from the shaft 50 and the yarn feed roller section or module 49 must be disconnected from the shaft 5l..This prevents feed of any yarn to the needles 16 of the needle bar section or module 14.

Accordingly, the modular tufting unit of the presen invention is now capable of producing carpeting having a twelve foot width. Neither of the yarn feed roller sections or modules 45 or 49 is driven during this time nor is the needle bar section or module 14 reciprocated. Thus, it is not necessary to rock the loopers, which cooperate with the needles 16 on the needle bar section or module 14, since there is no movement of the cooperating needles 16 on the needle barsection or module 14. Additionally, it is not necessary to unthread the yarn from the needles 16 of the needle .barsection or module 14 since there will be no advancement of the yarn by the yarn feed roller sections or modules 45 and 49.

However, the yarn is continued to be fed by the yarn feed roller sections or modules 42 to 44 of the yarn feed roller 40 and the yarn feed roller sections or modules 46 to 48 of the yarn feed roller 41 to the needles 16 of the needle bar sections or modules 11, 12, and 13 of the needle bar 10. This enables the carpeting oftwelve foot width to be produced.

If it should ever be desired to make a sample run of three foot width for research and development purposes, for example, only one of the needle bar sections or modules 12 to 14 could be employed if each of these sections or modules has a three foot width. Thus, in this type of operation, only the needle bar section or module 14 and the aligned yarn feed roller sections or modules 45 and 49 would be effective while the remaining sections or modules of the needle bar 10 and the yarn feed rollers 40 and 41 would be rendered inactive. Thus, the present invention eliminates the requirement for a separate sample or pilot machine.

As previously mentioned, it is not necessary for the needle bar sections or modules 11 to 1 4 to have the lengths mentioned. Thus, by appropriately selecting the lengths of the sections or modules of the needle bar 10 and the yarn feed rollers 40 and 41, various non-standard or custom widths of carpeting could be produced economically. It should be understood that forming each of the needle bar 10 and the yarn feed rollers 40 and 41 of four sections or modules is merely exempla- An advantage of this invention is that it substantially reduces the down time of a tufting machine when the width of the carpeting to be produced is to be changed. Another advantage of this invention is that it reduces the labor costs of producing carpeting of different widths from the same machine since the labor required to change the widths of the carpeting is significantly decreased. Still another advantage of this invention is that there is no unthreading or rethreading of the yarn when changing the machine to produce carpeting of different widths. A further advantage of this invention is that it increases the production rate from a particular tufting machine when different widths of carpeting are to be produced.

For purposes of exemplification, a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described according to the best present understanding thereof. However, it will be apparent that changes and modifications is the .arrangement and construction of the parts thereof may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A modular tufting unit including a plurality of needle carrying sections having needles supported thereby, at least one yarn feed roller cooperating with said needle carrying sections to feed yarn thereto, said yarn feed roller comprising a plurality of yarn feed roller sections equal in number to said needle carrying sections, each of said yarn feed roller sections being aligned with one of said needle carrying sections in the direction of movement of the yarn and having substantially the same length, means to drive said needle carrying sections, means to selectively connect said drive means to each of said needle carrying sections, and means to cause driving of only said yarn feed roller sections having their aligned needle carrying sectionsconnected to said drive means by said connecting means.

2. The modular tufting unit according to claim 1 including two yarn feed rollers, each of said yarn feed rollers having a plurality of yarn feed roller sections equal in number to said needle carrying sections, and each of said yarn feed rollers having one of said yarn feed roller sections aligned with one of said needle carrying sections in the direction of movement of the yarn.

3. The modular tufting unit according to claim 2 in which said causing means includes a pair of parallel driven shafts, means to selectively connect each of said yarn feed roller sections of one of said yarn feed rollers to one of said shafts, and means to selectively connect each of said yarn feed roller sections of the other of said yarn feed rollers to the other of said shafts.

4. The modular tufting unit according to claim 3 including means to connect adjacent of said needle carrying sections to each other when said adjacent needle carrying sections are connected by said connecting means to said drive means.

5. The modular tufting unit according to claim 1 in which said causing means comprises a driven shaft, said driven shaft extending through each of said yarn feed roller sections, and means to selectively connect each of said yarn feed roller sections to said driven shaft.

6. The modular tufting unit according to claim 5 including means to connect adjacent of said needle carrying sections to each other when said adjacent needle carrying sections are connected by said selective connecting means to said drive means.

7. The modular tufting unit according to claim 1 in which said causing means includes drive means for said yarn feed roller sections and means to selectively connect each of said yarn feed roller'sections to said drive 

1. A modular tufting unit including a plurality of needle carrying sections having needles supported thereby, at least one yarn feed roller cooperating with said needle carrying sections to feed yarn thereto, said yarn feed roller comprising a plurality of yarn feed roller sections equal in number to said needle carrying sections, each of said yarn feed roller sections being aligned with one of said needle carrying sections in the direction of movement of the yarn and having substantially the same length, means to drive said needle carrying sections, means to selectively connect said drive means to each of said needle carrying sections, and means to cause driving of only said yarn feed roller sections having their aligned needle carrying sections connected to said drive means by said connecting means.
 2. The modular tufting unit according to claim 1 including two yarn feed rollers, each of said yarn feed rollers having a plurality of yarn feed roller sections equal in number to said needle carrying sections, and each of said yarn feed rollers having one of said yarn feed roller sections aligned with one of said needle carrying sections in the direction of movement of the yarn.
 3. The modular tufting unit according to claim 2 in which said causing means includes a pair of parallel driven shafts, means to selectively connect each of said yarn feed roller sections of one of said yarn feed rollers to one of said shafts, and means to selectively connect each of said yarn feed roller sections of the other of said yarn feed rollers to the other of said shafts.
 4. The modular tufting unit according to claim 3 including means to connect adjacent of said needle carrying sections to each other when said adjacent needle carrying sections are connected by said connecting means to said drive means.
 5. The modular tufting unit according to claim 1 in which said causing means comprises a driven shaft, said driven shaft extending through each of said yarn feed roller sections, and means to selectively connect each of said yarn feed roller sections to said driven shaft.
 6. The modular tufting unit according to claim 5 including means to connect adjacent of said needle carrying sections to each other when said adjacent needle carrying sections are connected by said selective connecting means to said drive means.
 7. The modular tufting unit according to claim 1 in which said causing means includes drive means for said yarn feed roller sections and means to selectively connect each of said yarn feed roller sections to said drive means for said yarn feed roller sections.
 8. The modular tufting unit according to claim 7 including means to connect adjacent of said needle carrying sections to each other when said adjacent needle carrying sections are connected by said selective connecting means to said drive means.
 9. The modular tufting unit according to claim 1 including means to connect adjacent of said needle carrying sections to each other when said adjacent needle carrying sections are connected by said selective connecting means to said drive means. 